On Air News Read for May 23, 2016

Senate Bill 4 6 5 has become law in the state of New Hampshire. The bill establishes penalties for distributing private sexual images without prior consent, also known as “revenge porn.” District Fourteen Senator Sharon Carson, Republican from Londonderry, said that with social media and instant communication, sharing private information or images without consent to hurt others has become a greater problem for the state. This law includes penalties for posting, sharing, or distributing explicit images with the intent to cause harm or without permission. It also provides law enforcement with the necessary standards by which they can prosecute these offenders who engage in revenge porn and similar acts. Quote:

“By increasing penalties for this practice, we hope to protect individual privacy and deter the improper distribution of any private images,” Carson said.

Chandler: Good for Coos County

The New Hampshire House passed an amendment to House Bill 1 2 9 8 last week. The bill was amended to give federal border patrol agents the authority to make arrests in Coos County. Residents have complained of having private property damaged. Now, agents will be able to make arrests for such behavior. Deputy Speaker Gene Chandler called it a “win-win for both New Hampshire and the North Country.” Chandler believes that this will work and will bring significant change for Coos County and its residents.

PFOA contamination area expanding

Bedford’s Town Council will meet this Wednesday night at seven. Among other items, the council will receive and discuss an update about theP F O A Water Contamination that has affected the town. In a memo to the council, Town Manager Rick Sawyer wrote that one third of the town will need to be checked for possible groundwater contamination. The area of concern is near the Merrimack landfill where eight out of the ten monitoring wells have shown levels in excess of one-hundred parts per trillion. One of the wells tested at two-thousand and two-hundred parts per trillion. While the exact area to be tested has not yet been announced, residents along portions of Gage Girls Road, Amber Lane, Dublin Court, and potentially Powers Circle and Beals Road will be contacted by the state Department of Environmental Services about testing, if they haven’t already. The council is still awaiting the results of tests of private wells in the area. Residents may call 2 7 1 9 4 6 1 with questions.

News from our own backyard continues after this.

St. Stanislaus: New home of the Latin Mass

The former Saint Stanislaus Parish in Nashua is scheduled to reopen in August. It will be dedicated to the celebration of the Tridentine Rite Mass. That’s the Latin Mass that existed before Vatican Two for those of you not in the know. The new parish will be entrusted to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter. A pastor for the new parish has not yet been named but current plans call for the celebration of the first Mass in early August. Saint Stanislaus was established in 1 9 0 8 to serve the Polish community of Nashua and was unified with Saint Aloysius of Gonzaga Parish in 2 0 0 2. Since 1 9 9 9 it has also been the home of the Corpus Christi Food Pantry. The pantry, with its volunteers, will continue to offer its valuable services and programs that serve those who are in need in the greater Nashua area.

The Amoskeag Millyard: To be home to a river-walk?

This Tuesday night at 5:30, Manchester Connects will host a public meeting at U N H-Manchester so the community can learn more about a potential river walk and share their thoughts on what they would like to see happen. The event will be led by urban planner and MIT lecturer Susan Silberberg. Silberberg and her team will help participants envision more accessibility from downtown to the Millyard and the riverfront. Manchester Connects was formed after the Southern N H Regional Planning Commission hired Civic Moxie to develop a Multimodal Transportation and Land Use Plan for the area. The event is free and snacks will be available. We’ve linked to their Web site at My Good Good Manchester dot org for those interested in registering.

Scam Alert

The Manchester Police Department has issued a scam warning in light of numerous calls from the public in reference to calls made to residents allegedly from the Internal Revenue Service. In a statement issued Friday, police said to beware of unsolicited calls from people claiming to be IRS officials, demanding the person called pay a bogus tax bill. Police say the callers demand the bill be paid via a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests using “robo-calls” or send a phishing email.

Scammers often alter caller I D numbers to make it look like the I R S or another agency is calling. The callers use I R S titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use the victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official.

Police want you to know this:

IRS scam afoot again

The IRS will never call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.

It won’t threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law enforcement to have you arrested for not paying, nor will the I R S demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. They also won’t require a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card, nor will they ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

If you get such a call, don’t give out any information. Hang up immediately and call 8 0 0 3 6 6 4 4 8 4 to report the call.

About The Author

Richard H. Girard is a well known and highly respected conservative public figure and opinion maker in southern New Hampshire. A native of Manchester, NH, Rich has devoted more than two decades to serving and educating the community about the critical issues in local politics and government. Rich’s diverse background includes running for and holding public office, providing leadership and management for other candidates’ political campaigns, extensive experience in the public and not-for-profit sectors, being sought as a political commentator by media outlets across the region, and having started and run three businesses, including this one.